There's been a lot of craziness going on lately...family members dealing with cancer, beloved pets passing away....So while I have a minute in between editing and reading, I wanted to remember my Grandpa Gene who has been gone for over a year this week...
This is Grandpa Gene at Aunt Mar's Wedding a couple years ago. Though he was not a blood relative, he was probably the closest grandfather figure I had, since mine were too far away from us.Grandpa Gene was an Italian...so you can imagine his fun-loving, and loud personality. He was the one that taught me how to properly watch Braves games: by talking (sometimes yelling at Bobby) to the TV, and throwing down his hat, fully focused on the game. (He also chewed on a cigar, but I passed on that habit.)
He was the kind of Grandpa that you were always proud to have. Not only was he constantly telling stories, they were awesome stories. The time he played baseball for the Navy...the day WWII was over, and he jumped off the boat to celebrate into a family of jellyfish...the dances that he would take Grandma Angie to, the contests that he entered (including the one that he got pies in the face...) He loved life, and you could see that in his face and demeanor.
He was also the kind of grandfather that was an excellent listener and always knew how to make you feel better. He lived within walking distance, so I would go over there a lot, and he would always make me "try" his favorite ice cream (Mayfield Brown Cow)...
Even until the day he died, he was always entertaining us (some more than others :) ). He even proposed once to my roommate - she still has the "ring" he gave her. He always knew how to treat the ladies right :)
There's so many stories left to tell...I only hope and pray that I will never forget them :)
